In his new Showtime Sports documentary “One and Done,” 76ers rookie and former LSU star Ben Simmons called the NCAA “really f—ed up” and said academics are “pointless” for one-and-done college basketball stars.
“The NCAA is really f—ed up,” Simmons said on “One and Done,” a film that will air on Showtime on Friday night. “Everybody’s making money except the players. We’re the ones waking up early as hell to be the best teams and do everything they want us to do and then the players get nothing. They say education, but if I’m there for a year, I can’t get much education.”
Hoops analyst Doug Gottlieb took a stab at Simmons on Twitter in response to this, pointing out the hypocrisy in Simmons making money off this documentary. However, Simmons tweeted he made nothing from the project.
https://twitter.com/BenSimmons25/status/793560159268245505
At least Gottlieb took it back once Simmons responded.
https://twitter.com/BenSimmons25/status/793560805895708672
Simmons also said he knew he would stop going to class once he became eligible to play basketball his second semester, and channeled Cardale Jones in the process.
“I got B’s and C’s; I’m not going to class next semester because I don’t need to,” Simmons said. “… I’m here to play, I’m not here to go to school.”
The film follows Simmons from his youth in Australia, to high school in Orlando, and ends with his college career at LSU and selection in the NBA Draft. The 6’10” point forward addresses all the luxuries he was offered while at LSU that would have violated NCAA regulations, such as cars, jewelry and free merchandise at local stores.
“The NCAA is messed up,” Simmons said. “Don’t say I’m an amateur and make me take pictures and sign stuff and go make hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars off one person. … I’m here because I have to be here [at LSU]. … I can’t get a degree in two semesters, so it’s kind of pointless. I feel like I’m wasting time.”
Simmons was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, netting him a contract reported at $5.9 million for the 2016-17 season, but he has not made his pro debut yet due to a fracture in his right foot.
[ESPN]
About Jesse Kramer
Jesse is a writer and editor for The Comeback. He has also worked for SI.com and runs The Catch and Shoot, a college basketball website based in Chicago. He is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Follow Jesse on Twitter @Jesse_Kramer.